Tips and Bits

Quilters are multi-talented, but you already knew that, right? One of my dear Quilty Friends, Jennifer, has been working on wool. Spinning is a mesmerizing activity I am told. It takes you back in time when day to day life was harder but the act of spinning was a skill to be learned. In recent decades spinning has taken on a new life. Not because it is a necessary skill for the home maker but because it is creative, fun and ultimately rewarding. Practice is required, lots of practice and learning from a skilled crafts person. 

At a recent Ladies of the Cloth gathering, Jenny present her most recent workshop makes. 

Just look at those sweet curls! This style may have a "name" but sadly I know absolutely nothing about spinning wool or silk!

Look at these beautiful fibers and colors. This type of work is essential to the spinners repertoire.

By spinning different fibers and elements into the yarn various textures emerge within the same work. I am not sure if she has a project in mind for these pieces or if it is sample work for building her portfolio but we always enjoy seeing how all the elements come together. Thanks for sharing Jen. 

The pro's have their own little secrets for making their work flow more smoothly. Here are a couple I saw recently that you might want to try!
  

Pat Sloan has a great method for taming her binding while sewing. She places the rolled binding in a container, jar, crock, whatever and it unfurls as you work! You can check out her other great ideas HERE!

Binding, necessary, essential, love it or hate it, it has to be done!

When applying binding by machine I often have yards laying here and there. This is an old CD, with hollow Aurifil spool center over the upright spool holder on the machine. Bingo?
From Pat's blog.

• Several of my friends are swamped with snow in the Carolina's. Stay warm and safe please.
• We are cold, really cold, but thankfully missed the most recent storm front. Thank You.
• I still send Christmas Cards. Some don't. Sadly, my list is much smaller over the last several years but I have made a conscious decision to not remove them from the list. When I get to their name, I say a little prayer for them and hope that  they are not forgotten at Christmas.  
• My dining room looks like a whirlwind had just passed through. Such is the fate of the seasonal change out of Christmas dishes, like my dishes, all of them!